The Ultimate Sacrifice Pt. 05

Yep...he was a "player."

However, in his business persona as James Whitmore, Deputy Director at the CIA, he was a frustrated man. Whitmore had been looking for Heracles for over a year. Heracles' last known location was Dallas, Texas. After that, he just disappeared, dropped off the face of the earth. A considerable amount of "favors" were wasted trying to locate Heracles. Utu had even considered that he was in fact "off planet." But Anu's spy on the Olympus would have told them that.

Utu might have been a gifted seducer of woman, but he made a lousy CIA operative.

There was a lot Utu didn't know.

He was also in constant contact with Inanna. They say twins have a psychic connection that binds them together. Inanna's and Utu's connection was "off the charts." He knew she had the Russians and Chinese eating out of her hands. All he had to do was to make sure their preselected candidate won the November US Presidential election.

One thing that concerned him was Inanna's infatuation with Perseus. His sister only used men to achieve her goals. This was the first time, ever, she had "feelings" for anyone. It deeply bothered him and was something he would have to watch.

In addition from not knowing the location of Heracles, Inanna and Utu were unaware of Josephine or myself, much less Athena and Poseidon's presence on Earth.

This was going to be interesting.

Chapter twenty-one -- Planning

When I came back from the Observatory, I forgot I was sitting in the middle of the lake. I opened my eyes, stood up and...splash, into the lake I went.

Oops.

However, I did discover I could breathe under water. Not a real surprise, Aphrodite told me my body would adapt to any environment. I elevated myself back above the surface. I decided I needed a little "air drying." So I shot vertical to about 1,000 feet, performed some fast spin moves and then descended, landing on shore.

Heracles and Josephine were watching my antics. Josephine was explaining how I could navigate the "underworld" like Hades. Then they watched me sink into the lake.

"Still trying out your new legs?" Heracles asked with a huge grin.

"I'm not going to live that down for some time, am I?" I asked.

Athena walked up, "Can't say as you will. It will make a great tale, on the Olympus."

"Glad I could provide the entertainment." I said with a smile.

Poseidon changed subjects, "Zeus has summoned me back to the Olympus. Before I go, have you discovered anything of use to us?"

I looked at him, "I believe I have. Let's discuss over something to eat."

While we sat around the table, I filled everyone in on what I had learned.

"I think I should coordinate a synchronized attack from the Observatory. We need to team up in pairs to deal with Inanna and Utu at the same time. With their psychic connection, they will know the moment the other is confronted. The remaining invaders can be dealt with at their upcoming annual retreat." Everyone was attentive and nodding.

Josephine was the one who noticed first, "But Poseidon will be returning to the Olympus. With you sitting in the Observatory, that just leaves Heracles, Athena and me. Who is the odd man out?"

I was ready for that one, "I think you and Heracles should take Utu."

Athena looked concerned, "Inanna is the most dangerous, I'm not sure I can handle her alone."

I smiled, "Nor would I expect you. I've discovered another immortal on Earth that should prove to be a strong ally. Inanna has a distinct advantage over men, even immortal men. I made some very poor assumptions when I engaged Lilith. My mistakes not only almost cost Aristaeus and my life, but threatened all Olympians and the future of Earth. We can't afford to take a chance that Inanna could have the same control over me, she has with all men. I don't think she'll stand a chance with the goddess of war and this ally. Also, I will be backup, if she somehow surprises us."

Athena was intrigued, "Would you care to enlighten us as to who this immortal is and where she's been hiding?"

"Of course, her name is Penthesilea."

The two Olympic gods sat there... stunned.

Poseidon was the first to speak, "That's not possible. First, the Queen of the Amazons was killed by General Achilles at Troy while she attempted to avenge your death. And secondly, she's not immortal. There's just no way she could still be living."

He thought for a second, "Unless you've discovered her soul in another human. But if you have how could she be of any assistance?"

I thought for a moment whether or not to tell them, as Paul Harvey used to say "The rest of the story."

"Yea...that's where it gets a little complicated. She actually struck General Achilles with a fatal blow, but Zeus interceded and brought Achilles back to life.

That's where the legend of Achilles' immortality began. It evolved into the story of his mother dipping him into the river Styz under the belief he would then be immortal. She held him by his heel, which was the only part of his body not touched by the magical water. The myth stated the only way he could be killed was by striking his heel. Hector's brother Paris is credited with killing General Achilles by sending an arrow, guided by Apollo, into Achilles's mortal heel.

All bullshit, but I digress.

Penthesilea was shocked that he was revived and in that moment Achilles struck back. History recorded that Achilles ran his sword through Penthesilea's chest and killed her. However, what history is not aware of, Artemis stopped the sword from piercing any vital organs. Artemis then instructed Penthesilea's Amazon warriors to remove her from the battlefield and care for her wounds. It took all of Artemis' power and energy to move Achilles' sword in a way that it didn't kill her. While her hands were inside Penthesilea's body, Artemis' energy radiated throughout her cells. She now possessed Artemis' life force. She's truly immortal, just as much as any other Olympian."

I paused and then continued, "Zeus wasn't even aware of Artemis' intervention. The only condition Artemis required of the Amazons, was that Zeus never know Penthesilea survived the battle. Penthesilea has been living anonymously ever since."

I let that all settle in for a bit, then added, "Artemis has only recently confessed to Zeus what she did on that battlefield. Zeus was only upset she hadn't told him sooner. He actually thanked her and was relieved she wasn't dead. He wasn't trying to kill Penthesilea, but save General Achilles. Watching Achilles slay me; saving him from Penthesilea's blow; and then watching what he had thought was Achilles striking her dead, and deciding not to save her, were the events that started to make Zeus realize he had lost his way."

Heracles' mood was somber, "When Artemis saved her, she became family. She should have never had to be alone for so long."

Athena then asked, "Why would she help us? I would think she might be more inclined at align herself with Inanna than those who abandoned her."

"As we say in the police business, she was my partner and that bond runs deep. She thought she failed me when I fought Achilles. I will sit down with her. I hope she'll be able to see the bigger picture. I would like the three of you to accompany me when I meet with her."

Josephine asked, "Where is she now?"

"She's in Oslo, Norway. After she recovered, she wandered for a long time. She spent her time joining whatever group or army would let her fight. Over the centuries she became the most lethal warrior, no one's ever heard of, in human history. She settled in Norway during the age of the Vikings. In fact she was a famous Shield Madian. Are y'all familiar with Lagertha?"

Heracles asked, "Ragnar Lothbrok's wife?"

"Well that's the myth, but I'm not sure how true it is. Penthesilea fought beside Ragnar and Lagertha. There was more than one battle that would have been lost, if it hadn't been for Penthesilea. She also helped Bjorn Ironside achieve his historical fame as King of Sweden. She was tired of constantly moving around. Norway provided an opportunity to finally lay down some roots, so she stayed."

We then had a lively debate about whether or not Inanna and Utu should be killed, if they could be killed or take just them as prisoners. I knew I could end their lives, but I wanted the group to decide how far we would go. The Kepler invaders were the easiest. A representative from their home world was part of the planetary contingency on Jupiter's moon, Io. We could coral them and simply arrange to turn them over so they could face their society's justice system.

As with most plans, timing was everything. The retreat was going to be held on a remote Yasawa resort island, which was part of Fiji, in the South Pacific. The Kepler 99 started arriving on Sunday. They had Monday and Tuesday to enjoy themselves. Utu and Inanna were scheduled to arrive on Wednesday to conduct business.

Today was Friday. Tuesday would be the day we'd make our move. I wondered what "Murphy's Law" was going to throw at us. Maybe, just maybe, we'd throw a load of "Murphy" on Inanna's and Utu's plans.

Chapter twenty-two -- Queen of the Amazons

Penthesilea has had a more difficult life than pretty much every human. She accidentally killed her sister, Hippolyta, during a hunting expedition. She watched the Greek General Achilles kill and desecrate her best friend, Prince Hector of Troy. She successfully avenged Hector's death, only to have her vengeance ripped from her when Zeus brought Achilles back to life. Then to top it off, Achilles struck her with his sword. If it hadn't been for Artemis, she would be dead. When Artemis touched Achilles sword as it entered Penthesilea, the energy to render the wound non lethal also made her immortal. She's had to make a life for herself...alone. Her sister Amazonians were long dead. The Olympians thought she was dead and never gave her a second thought, except for Artemis.

She became probably the first "soldier of fortune." She would fight for anyone... for the right price. She fought all over ancient Europe and Asia. She fought for the Mongols, Huns, Romans, Vandals, Egyptians, Persians and on and on. She fought for Saladin during the first crusade. She also fought on the side of the allies in both World War One and Two. She only refused to fight for the Greeks. There was no way in Hell she would ever raise her sword for those who invaded her beloved Troy and killed the best friend she had ever known.

She led a lonely and Spartan life. She was well paid, but for centuries didn't have many material needs. Penthesilea accumulated the majority of her her wealth from the "spoils of war." She hid her pay and spoils well. After centuries, they added up...a lot.

These days she was known as Ingvlid Dahlberg, a commodities trader. I might add a very successful commodities trader. By this time her resources were almost unlimited. Josephine, Athena, Heracles and I appeared in an ally way, next to her office building. Ingvlid's office was the penthouse of this very plush, modern and architecturally beautiful office building that overlooked the Oslofjord.

Ok...I guess, lately, her life hasn't been all that difficult or Spartan. Let's just say she had a complicated start and a very interesting life.

I had called ahead and made an appointment. All I said was that I represented a consortium and wanted to discuss a business proposition that involved antiquities from ancient Troy. She was very intrigued and approachable. Little did she know, I was the antiquity.

The entrance to her office suite was a large, dark, oak door. I rang the buzzer and the door was immediately opened. We were warmly greeted by a young man dressed very professionally. Heracles was the last of our entourage to enter. The young man gulped as he looked up at the giant man. He asked us to have a seat and offered us refreshments. I must say, his English was impeccable, though not necessary, we all spoke Norwegian fluently. He told us Ms. Dahlberg would be with us momentarily. The assistant was very friendly and accommodating. The waiting area was also warm and inviting. The colors were neutral and the furnishings, albeit modern, were very comfortable. I did noticed a Rembrandt and a Jean Fouquet hanging prominently on the wall. In one corner was a Donatello statue, and in another was a bust of Julius Caesar. I had to assume it was an original. My guess was, she knew him personally.

We didn't have to wait long when Ingvlid Dahlberg walked out to greet us.

Remember, she was the Queen of the Amazons. Penthesilea was probably two inches shorter than my six foot four and her skin was as black as night. Her black hair was very short and her brown eyes look right into a person's soul. She had a very proportional body that was in perfect physical condition. Her demeanor was confident yet comforting and friendly. Underneath it all I could tell she could go from sweet hostess to warrior bitch in about a nanosecond.

Her handshake was confident, firm and friendly.

I spoke first, "Thank you for meeting with us Ms. Dahlberg. I'm Hector Priam."

Her hand stopped shaking but still held onto mine. She looked deep into my eyes and I looked back. They say "the eyes are the gateway to the soul." In that moment, I was hoping it was so.

Then she took a step back and brought her hand to her mouth. Her eyes were wide open and tears began to form, "How can it be? It's not possible! I saw you die! I cleaned your bloodied body and wrapped you in the burial cloth. I placed the two coins on your closed eyes as payment to Kharon, ensuring your passage across the river Styx. I lit the fire that burned your body and sent your soul to the underworld!"

Then quietly like she was afraid someone would hear, "But it is...you. You don't look the same, but I can see it in your eyes."

Just as quietly I responded, "We can explain, if we could go somewhere more private."

Her assistant was listening quite attentively. She would have a very interesting conversation with him later.

Ingvlid quickly ushered Athena, Josephine, Heracles and me into her very large office. All of the furnishings were very high end. The paintings all depicted strong warrior type women. Antiques, aging back thousands of years were prominently displayed.

Once we had a higher degree of privacy Athena approached Ingvlid and said, "It is a pleasure to meet you Penthesilea, I'm Athena."

I think she was in shock because she just stood there. No one had referred to her as "Penthesilea" in centuries.

Heracles was next and introduced himself.

Josephine then approached her, took her hand, "And I'm Josephine, daughter of Zeus."

That seemed to have gotten Penthesilea's attention. A flash of anger appeared on her face.

I drew her attention, "He's not on Earth. But if he was, he would be here asking your forgiveness for what he did to you."

She looked hard at me, still angry, "Who are you really!?"

We spent a good hour or more telling her the tale of Bob Davis, Hector, Prince of Troy, even the French peasant boy who protected a very young Josephine, leading to Hector's rebirth. How I found myself in this body. My experience with Zeus and the other Olympians. And yes, I was now immortal.

You get the idea.

She sat there taking it all in, not saying a word. Once we were done we could tell she was in deep thought. We waited patiently.

Finally, "How did you find out about me?"

"I'm still exploring my gifts in addition to all the knowledge Aphrodite downloaded into me. It's given me the ability to "connect dots" that have been forgotten. I sensed your presence and reached out to Artemis to get the full story."

Suddenly she dropped to her knees, right at my feet. Tears were streaming down her face. She looked up at me, ashamed and scared to death. "I failed you Hector! I should have been there to protect you! I should have stopped that bastard, Achilles! It should have been me that died, not you. Please forgive me!"

I wasn't expecting that. But as I thought for a moment, she's been carrying this guilt around for over 3,000 years. That's a pretty overwhelming burden.

I knelt in front of her and wrapped her broken, crying body into a loving embrace. "That's nonsense, there was nothing you could have done. Achilles was a far superior fighter than I was. It wasn't your fault, it wasn't your responsibility...it was mine."

Panthesilea gently pushed me back and look at me... confused.

I continued, "I was an arrogant, stupid man. When I killed Achilles' cousin, Patroclus, no matter how noble the battle, I knew it would have dire repercussions. I didn't know Achilles would challenge me to one on one combat. But when he did, I thought if I could defeat him, I could end the protracted war. Nothing could have been further from the truth. My death marked the beginning of the end for the Trojan people. It gave Agamemnon and his generals the confidence to find an end to the war and wipe Troy off the face of the Earth."

Her tears were drying up. She looked dead into my eyes. "You could not have prevented King Priam from bringing that horse of death into the city."

I smiled, "Well, I guess we'll never know. But my death also caused another important player's removal from the battlefield. That warrior was you, Panthesilea. Your attempt to avenge me and suffering a near fatal wound, removed the last person my father would have listened to and maybe, just maybe would have burned that damned horse on the beach, with General Odysseus and his men inside.

The point is, it's ancient history. What's truly important is we need your help, now, to prevent the destruction of the entire planet, not just one city."

She looked shocked.

Again I smiled, "You and I have the rare chance to redeem our past sins. Except this time all the Olympian gods are with us, not just some."

We then took several hours explaining the history between the Annunnaki and the Olympians; Ares death and Lilith's controlled over Aristaeus with the neurotoxin; the battle with Lilith and freeing Aristaeus; and Anu's plans for Zeus and Earth. Finally we brought her up to speed concerning Inanna, Utu and the Kepler invaders.

It was an interactive conversation. All of us participated. Penthesilea asked a lot of questions. She was a quick study. Then it got quiet. She was in deep thought. We wanted to give her time to process.

Finally, "How can I help?"

Athena answered, "I would like for you to go with me, to Argos, help me free Perseus and deal with Inanna."

"That's it?" She responded.

I jumped in, "Oh yeah, you're invited to the family barbecue this coming weekend."

That comment drew the attention of all three women. They all looked at me thinking "the elevator isn't stopping on all the floors for this one."

I just smiled.

Then Heracles bursted out laughing. Penthesilea gave me a big hug.

"I see your sense of humor has survived all your lives."

Athena added, "Inanna is older than you and me, combined. She's hasn't survived all this time without, gifts, skill and will. I don't think she'll go easily. Are you up for a fight?"

Penthesilea looked at Athena curiously, "I am the Queen of the Amazons. I fought battles on all four corners of this world. I've battled against Roman Legions, the barbarians and the goddamn Nazis. I fought beside Caesar, Attila, Sun Tzu, Cyrus the Great, Lagertha, and Saladin! I saved Ragnar Lothbrok's sorry ass more than once! Am I up for this fight? The real question is, are you up for this fight?"

Josephine laughed, "I think we found the right ally, Athena."

Athena nodded affirmatively.

I smiled and hugged her again, "Welcome to the team."

Chapter twenty-three -- Confrontation

Washington DC -- Foggy Bottom -

James Whitmore, AKA Utu, The Annunnaki sun god, was packing his bag for the annual retreat with the Kepler 99. He was really looking forward to this trip ever since he conducted the due diligence on the resort in the South Pacific Yasawa Islands. The location was perfect; secluded, breathtakingly beautiful and full of gorgeous women. He'd even sampled several of the local pussy already. Now he was excited to finally return to enjoy the main course. The thought of arranging an evening of hot sex with three of the local beauties, at once, was very inviting. Hell maybe he could convince Inanna to add three guys to the mix. Yea, that's the ticket, a good old fashion orgy, just like the good ole days.